The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys call for a 30-day ceasefire, saying nuances raised earlier by Russias Vladimir Putin remain unresolved.Zelensky criticized Putins unilateral announcement of a 72-hour ceasefire from May 8 to May 10 as manipulation and called for an immediate, monthlong truce instead.Its difficult to agree to such a long-term truce without answers to the questions raised by Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.In March, Putin voiced concerns that a 30-day ceasefire, as proposed by the United States, would allow Ukrainian forces to regroup and rearm while slowing Russian advances on the front line.Putins three-day truce covers the May 9 Victory Day holiday, which commemorates the Soviet Unions defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
A large military parade is scheduled to take place in Moscows Red Square, with several foreign leaders expected to attend.Zelensky questioned the temporary ceasefire plan, saying, We value peoples lives, not parades.The White House also said Monday that U.S.
President Donald Trump supports a permanent ceasefire, rather than Putins temporary proposal.Peskov accused Zelensky of avoiding a direct response to the proposed 72-hour pause in fighting.We havent heard the Kyiv regimes reaction, and its unclear whether they plan to join the truce, Peskov said.Nevertheless, we hope the Russian presidents peace initiative will be appreciated, he added.
The first step is to start the negotiation process everything else is secondary.U.S.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned earlier that this week will be critical for peace talks, with Trump threatening to abandon his ceasefire push if no progress is made.